This invention relates to the measurement of the volume and shape of a uniformly accelerating article. More particularly, this invention relates to the measurement of the volume and shape of a freely falling article. Still more particularly, this invention relates to the measurement of the volume and shape of a falling glass gob which is delivered from a feeder to a glass forming machine.
In the formation of glass articles, a gob of molten glass is dropped from a feeder into a glass forming machine. The volume (or weight) and shape of the gob are factors which need to be controlled to insure proper formation of the final glass article. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor these factors in order to determine if the gobs are acceptable. Previously, spot checks were made by catching a falling gob in a ladle and weighing it. Since the density of the glass is known, the volume of the gob could then be determined. Gob shapes were qualitatively guessed at by visually observing the gob as it fell. The operation of the glass feeder was then adjusted by the machine operator so as to obtain correctly sized and shaped gobs.
Disadvantages of the above described method are that the gobs must be stopped in order to be weighed and that visual observation of the falling gob to determine its shape is not very accurate. Adjustment of the size and shape of gobs has thus been largely a trial and error procedure.